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I would never purchase a CD-only player. Plus any new multiformat player must sound better than my original CD-only player
Reader Arnel Enero wonders if the advent of DVD-Audio and SACD has dampened your desire for a new CD-only player.
I have been waiting two years for some clear sign as to where the new formats are heading, since I am very eager to upgrade my CD player. With all of the news about copy protetction being forced upon us in CD form, I'm more and more interested in SACD.
Late last year when I saw that the consensus among audio magazine writers was that SACD is the superior sounding format, I bought the Sony 9000 SACD/DVD player. I wanted to throw my support behind the SACD format to give it a better chance to emerge as the winner, assuming that only one of the two formats (SACD, DVD-A) would emerge victorious. In addition to providing good sound, the 9000 is also a great DVD player.
Never again will I buy a "CD only" disc player. In fact, I am in the process of trying to narrow down my next purchase of a quality "disc" player. Personally, I'd like for it to play all formats, such as CD, CD-R, CD-RW, SACD, and DVD-Audio. That's right, a universal player. But it may be a long process because I am waiting for more choices on the universal player front. Hurry up, already!
Have you ever seen a SACD or DVD-A in a store? Have you seen an advertisement for a new release in a major magazine telling the customer it's in one of these formats? Unless you searched out a Sony ad in relationship to one of their hardware sells, it is non-existent. What are these companies afraid of? Don't they believe in their own products enough to convince the record companies to publish music in their formats? I'm tired of waiting. When I see one of these formats in an actual store, maybe I'll get interested again.
What matters most is the music. If the best music is on the new formats, I'll buy it. But the somewhat off-center music I like is often unavailable, and when it is, the discs cost twice that of a Red Book CD. And I have a large library of the old stuff that I still enjoy. I think I will purchase an SACD player next (I already have DVD-A), but if it doesn't do a damned good job with the Red Book stuff, I'll have a hard time justifying the expense.
Yes INDEED!!!! In fact, there are three that I am interested in. I am interested in a Meridian 506.20 or 506.24 (used), a Rega Planet (also used), and an Arcam CD72 (either new or used). I don't know what's going to come of the SACD/DVD-Audio debate right now. So, until a standard is decided on and when an affordable universal (quality) digital player hits the market, only then I will take a harder look at either SACD or DVD-Audio. But until then, don't look for me to sit in my living room in total silence.
For several years now, the increase of quality brought by new CD players has been only marginal. Of course, you can always find a new player that is better than the one you currently use, but it is not a break through anymore. Upsampling, however, can dramatically improve your CD playback, as J-10 advocated. Even if I cannot afford 24/192, I found that upsampling CDs at 24/96 is already a big step. Too bad that HDCD is so poorly marketed, since it ison my systemas good as 24/96 upsampled CDs. So, instead of changing my old Teac VRDS transport, I just upgraded my SFD-2 MkII to the MkIII version, added a D1D2 upsampler, and I can tell you that my CDs are damn close to analog. SACD or DVD-A? Well, let's see if the watermarking conglomerate won't ruin all these formats. And the high resolution has already been here for more than 50 years, its name is "analog". Do you think that next teenager generation will still know the word "analog"?
I just bought a new CD changer. Looked at getting a SACD model from Sony, but backed off, it didn't make too much sense for me. I still don't see the software out in the market for the price that would be attractive. I'll wait. Get one later, for now I'm still buying 100+ CDs a year.
I just got two very nice Sony ES CD players for next to nothing on E-bay in mint condition. With everyone buying DVD players there are lots of nice players up for grabs! My CD player sounds beter than my DVD player anyway, so why dump a good piece of gear?
Not in the least. SACD and DVD-A are still lacking the key ingredients to succeed. Universal high-bit machines with digital outs? Not yet. Software that we need? Nope. The SACD and DVD-A camps still feel that it's necessary for us to buy old re-hashed titles for the fifth time over. That can only last so long. The well is pretty dry there. We have informed the record labels on what they need to do to make the new formats viable for everyone, but they are ignoring us wholeheartedly. The potential is there, but I am afraid that it's quickly slipping away. In addition, watermarking issues have not helped SACD and DVD-A. Even with CD copy-protection looming, the format has still found ways to advance. Upsampled CD, Reference Recordings HDCDs and some of the new JVC XRCDs have proven to be every "bit" as good as the new "high rez" formats. I would urge audiophiles to audition some of the new JVC XR discs. They certainly restored some of my faith in the CD format and they just might make you believe that the new formats should just go away. They are that good. If I have to purchase a different CD player in the meantime then I will do so and without hesitation. It's going to be a while before SACD and DVD-A get their shit together. If they ever do.
Since I went back to analog, my desire for any digital has hit an all time low. I really could not care less what they are doing with the digital formats. Any music they realese will probably be messed up in the mastering anyway.